The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 24, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 29, 1999
Hitachi Koki Company Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
There are disposed optical sensors (S1, S2, S3,S4, S5, and S6) outside sheet trays (1, 2, 3). The optical axes of the optical sensors are respectively set in such a manner that they are parallel to their associated up-down tables (1a, 2a, and 3a) and pass upwardly of contact positions (A, B and C) between sheets (P) and sheet supply rollers (20, 21, and 22). Using these optical sensors, the present image forming apparatus is able to detect a first condition based on information as to whether a sheet is positioned at a sheet suppliable position on the up-down table of the sheet tray or not, a second condition based on information as to whether a sheet position restrict member (23) removably mounted on the sheet tray is set properly or not, a third condition based on information as to whether a foreign object has invaded the apparatus main body side or not when the sheet tray was removed from the apparatus main body, and a fourth condition based on information on the warped amount and/or folded amount of the sheet.